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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. race — a contest
  3. mark — a grade
  4. firm — decided
  5. chest — a box
  6. chest — of your body
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. firm — steady
  9. clip — a video
  10. firm — a company
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. mark — a trace
  13. clip — to cut
  14. clip — for paper
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. race — the arms race
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. chest — of your body
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. race — humankind

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com